Georgia\u2019s defense was good last season. The Bulldogs ranked fourth in run defense and tied for 10th in scoring defense. <\/p>\n
Yet it was clear in the season-ending loss to Ole Miss that the Georgia defense has another level it can get to in 2026. <\/p>\n
Many of the key players from last season\u2019s team return this season, giving Georgia plenty of talent. The Bulldogs have proven contributors like safety KJ Bolden and linebacker Raylen Wilson. <\/p>\n
But the real reason to be excited about this 2026 Georgia defense is in regard to the younger talent on the roster. With so many former blue-chip prospects on the roster, the Bulldogs have a number of options for possible breakout candidates. <\/p>\n
The DawgNation team of Jeff Sentell, Connor Riley, Kaylee Mansell, Mike Griffith and Brandon Adams take a look at who might be able to turn the corner and make Georgia\u2019s defense truly elite in 2026. <\/p>\n
Jeff Sentell on outside linebacker Chase Linton:<\/a> \u201cI think there\u2019s been more talk of the noise being made by Chase Linton and your neighborhood firecrackers over the weekend. But this guy, I\u2019ve heard the term explosive. One of the strongest players pound for pound on the team already. Perhaps Georgia\u2019s most, already one of their most hardest to deal with pass rushers. And he\u2019s another one of those second-year surges guys where you kind of heard the hints about it. You heard the hints about it really late. He\u2019s a guy at that edge position. Larry Knight, what can he do with him to harass the quarterback and get that other jersey on the ground?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Connor Riley on outside linebacker Gabe Harris<\/a>: \u201cI think that this is a guy that really turned the corner last year, and when you factor in the fact that he\u2019s been in this program for four years, what that means from a strength and conditioning standpoint, the number of pure snaps that he\u2019s played, I think having an adult in a college football game is going to be such a valuable asset, especially on the defensive front for Georgia. I think Gabe Harris is going to be a guy where I don\u2019t know what the numbers look like for him, but the ball knowers out there watch him play, he\u2019s going to be one of the best defenders in college football this year.\u201d<\/p>\n Kaylee Mansell on inside linebacker Justin Williams<\/a> and defensive lineman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye: \u201cUsually the biggest transition that you have is either from year one to year two or year two to year three. I figured we\u2019d see a little bit more of at least one of those guys this past season. Maybe not Justin Williams because he\u2019s playing behind a bunch of other guys from last year. But, that\u2019s two former 5-stars that we haven\u2019t seen a ton of at all. One of those guys has to work out. And I wish maybe going into this season, or at the end of it, we\u2019re talking about one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n